Ugandans describe life in mandatory quarantine

Ugandans in mandatory quarantine have shared their experiences about life behind closed doors.

Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, an academic and cartoonist in quarantine since 18 March, has been vocal about how the process has been handled.

He says to start with it was chaotic as people who had arrived from different countries were held together at the airport.

But conditions at the quarantine centre have not been as bad, he says.

“I read and write, but I am not able to do as much as I normally would, because I am too stressed and anxious,” he says, wondering how much longer the mandatory isolation will go on for.

He has been drawing coronavirus-related cartoons while in quarantine.

But some have been upset by the experience. One British woman was so distressed that in a video shared online she threatened to go on hunger-strike.

Mr Ssentongo says that this seems to have been averted after government officials visited and explained why the quarantine had to go beyond the initial 14 days.

Health Ministry’s Senior Spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyoona said those in centres that did not record positive coronavirus cases were given their discharge certificates and released.

If a positive case if reported, 14-day count is reset.

Robert Kironde, a dentist, completed his 14-day isolation and went home on Saturday.

He says he spent most of the time in quarantine responding to social media attacks as he was among travellers from Dubai where the index case came from.

Dr Kironde has been reassuring his clients that he was not infected with coronavirus.